Semiconductor optical device

A semiconductor optical device comprising:

• a first conductive type III-V compound semiconductor portion extending along a first reference plane intersecting a predetermined axis;
• a second conductive type III-V compound semiconductor portion extending along a second reference plane intersecting the predetermined axis;
• a semiconductor portion having side faces, the semiconductor portion being provided between the first conductive type III-V compound semiconductor portion and the second conductive type III-V compound semiconductor portion, the semiconductor portion including first and second III-V compound semiconductor layers and an active layer, the active layer being provided between the first and second III-V group compound semiconductor layers;
• and
• a multilayer semiconductor portion having first to fourth semiconductor layers, the first to fourth semiconductor layers being provided between the first conductive type semiconductor portion and the second conductive type semiconductor portion, the multilayer semiconductor portion being provided on the side faces of the semiconductor portion;
• wherein each layer of the first to fourth semiconductor layers is adjacent to at least one semiconductor region of the following:
• the remaining of the semiconductor layers of the first to fourth semiconductor layers;
• the first conductive type III-V compound semiconductor potion;
• and the second conductive type III-V compound semiconductor portion, and
• wherein each of the first to fourth semiconductor layers has a conductive type different from that of the adjacent semiconductor region.

A semiconductor optical device comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate of a first conductive type;
• a semiconductor portion including first and second III-V compound semiconductor layers and an active layer, the semiconductor portion being provided on the semiconductor substrate, and the semiconductor portion having a side face extending in a direction of a predetermined axis,the active layer being provided between the first and second III-V compound semiconductor layers;
• a multilayer semiconductor portion provided on the semiconductor substrate and the side face of the semiconductor portion;
• and
• a second conductive type semiconductor layer provided on the semiconductor portion and the multilayer semiconductor portion;
• wherein the multilayer semiconductor portion has first to 2n-th semiconductor layers sequentially arranged on the semiconductor substrate, where the number n is equal to or more than two,
• wherein the first semiconductor layer is provided on the semiconductor substrate and the side face of the semiconductor portion,
• wherein the 2m-th semiconductor layer is a first conductive type III-V compound semiconductor layer, where the number m is integer and not more than n,
• wherein the (2m−1)-th semiconductor layer is a second conductive type III-V compound semiconductor layer, and
• wherein each layer of the first to 2n-th semiconductor layers is adjacent to another layer of the first to 2n-th semiconductor layers to constitute one of a pn junction and a pin junction.

A semiconductor optical device comprising:

• a first conductive type III-V compound semiconductor portion extending along a first reference plane intersecting a predetermined axis;
• a second conductive type III-V compound semiconductor portion extending along a second reference plane intersecting the predetermined axis;
• a semiconductor portion having side faces, the semiconductor portion being provided between the first conductive type III-V compound semiconductor portion and the second conductive type III-V compound semiconductor portion, the semiconductor portion including first and second III-V compound semiconductor layers and an active layer, the active layer being provided between the first and second III-V group compound semiconductor layers;
• and
• a multilayer semiconductor portion having first to 2n-th semiconductor layers, the first to 2n-th semiconductor layers being provided sequentially between the first conductive type semiconductor portion and the second conductive type semiconductor portion, the multilayer semiconductor portion being provided on the side faces of the semiconductor portion;
• wherein the 2m-th semiconductor layer has a first conductive type, where the number m is integer and not more than n,
• wherein the (2m−1)-th semiconductor layer has a second conductive type, and
• wherein each layer of the first to 2n-th semiconductor layers is adjacent to another layer of the first to 2n-th semiconductor layers to constitute one of a pn junction and a pin junction.